


Desperation

by Wichita29x



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Older Man/Younger Woman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-29
Updated: 2019-03-29
Packaged: 2019-12-26 10:43:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18281312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wichita29x/pseuds/Wichita29x
Summary: The winter was cold and rough in Twelve; no wild animal had run into her snares, no rabbit or squirrel in front of her bow. If she didn't bring any food home, her little family would literally starve to death.





	Desperation

Desperation

There was a knock on his front door, but he ignored it. Nobody ever came around to see him. Unless the clown-like escort of District Twelve showed up for the Games, but it was winter and still a long way to go.

There was another knock and he began to curse. 

Colorfully.

He lurched out of his filthy armchair, shuffling reluctantly toward the door and unlocked it with an odd squeaking sound. His bloodshot eyes caught a thin, gaunt figure that was standing in the bitter cold. A girl with sick blue lips who hadn‘t seen food for a long time.

He snorted; nothing new in Twelve.

"What do you want?" he snapped.

The girl said nothing, just swallowed hard and opened with trembling fingers her worn-out, over-sized coat. His dull eyes fell on her badly-fitting summer dress, totally out of place in the cold, merciless winter of Twelve.

But the penny dropped.

"Didn’t Cray want you?" he sneered, and the girl flinched at the sound of his rough, unwelcoming voice.

No, Cray hadn’t wanted her, just like on all the other days. The winter was cold and rough; there were too many hungry mouths to feed. Too many young girls willing to do anything so that their little siblings didn’t starve to death.

His gaze wandered over her body, and he felt arousal stir in his groin. The last time a naked body had pressed against his had been in the Capitol. For money, of course. No woman who was in her right mind would tolerate a man in her bed who had been hanging on the bottle for almost two decades.

But as starved as she looked, he couldn’t imagine that he would enjoy her bony body beneath his. It wasn’t difficult to guess why the old Peacekeeper hadn’t chosen her.

On the other hand, when was the last time he had made such an easy catch? He couldn’t remember; and finally he stepped aside, pointing with his unshaven chin into his bleak house.

Her eyes widened and she mustered all her courage as she crossed the doorframe with one quick step. The girl glanced swiftly around, seeing countless empty bottles and rubbish. Inside the dark house it was almost as cold as outside, but it didn’t matter, she hadn’t come for tea or a chat.

"What do you want?" he asked again while he lifted his hand to her face, caressing her snow-white cheek with the back of his calloused fingers.

The girl shuddered under his unfamiliar touch, trying her best to stay calm and suppress the fear rising in her body and mind. Knowing that the man would soon touch much more than her face.

“Food." Her voice trembled, sounding unfamiliar to herself.

The man nodded briefly while his hand moved on to her long, slender neck. Her skin was pleasantly tender and soft, and his mind started to wander. Why should he show more mercy than the Capitol citizens showed to the Victors? When any rich old bastard could buy a night with an innocent young Victor, doing whatever he liked with them.

And for a brief moment, he felt sorry for her and for himself, because in the end, he wasn’t only a murderer; he was as rotten as the Capitol itself.

Finally, he took a step back, letting his hand drop to his side. "Take your dress off."

Her cold fingers trembled as she reached for the buttons of her plain dress, lowering her big eyes in shame and despair to the filthy floor. No wild animal had run into her snares, no rabbit or squirrel in front of her bow. If she didn’t bring any food home, her little family would literally starve to death… 

The former Victor leaned against the doorframe, watching her with piercing eyes. Under different circumstances she could have been pretty, but her young cheeks were hollow. There were deep blue circles under her eyes and the long, black hair was unkempt, straggling around her shoulders.

She reminded him of himself; haggard, gaunt, even if he had food in abundance. He snorted, shoving the thought aside, and decided to close his eyes as soon as she was under him. Her features were too sad and dull.

Frightened, and with shaky hands, she dropped the dress to the floor while he took a bottle from the cabinet, glancing with satisfaction at her firm, round breasts, which lifted and lowered with every breath. He took a long sip of liquor, never letting his glance stray from her as he finally offered her the fire water.

"Drink this, sweetheart and I swear, you won’t feel a thing."

She starred at the bottle in his hand in disbelief. She had never drunk alcohol in her young life. She had never been with a man before. But what did that mean anymore?

Finally, she reached for the liquor, covering her bare breasts with her upper arm, before putting the bottle to her full lips. She drank as much as her empty, nauseous stomach could handle.

***

When he took her, she felt nothing. Everything was muffled by the veil of alcohol. Carefully, he moistened her lips with his saliva so he wouldn’t hurt her. He didn’t crush her with his weight, nor did he force his tongue into her mouth as he would do with a cheap Capitol whore.

It was over as soon as it had begun.

The girl slept on his couch until her drunkenness was gone. A few hours later, she staggered down his stairs, holding a bag stuffed full with bread and cheese in one hand and in the other enough coins to get her and her family through the cold, harsh winter.

Watching her go, he hoped he wouldn’t see her again at the reaping in summer.

How foolish he had been.


End file.
